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Ohio State will be without Wells against USC

Sep 13, 2008 - 5:14 PM No. 5 Ohio State (2-0) at No. 1 Southern Cal (1-0), 8:00 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Southern California and Ohio State both entered this season with aspirations to win the national title.

One of those powerhouses will take a major step toward that goal Saturday night when the top-ranked Trojans host the fifth-ranked Buckeyes in one of college football's most anticipated matchups this season.

It will mark the first meeting between these storied programs, who have squared off in the Rose Bowl seven times, since the 1990 season. The game also constitutes the first matchup this year between two schools ranked in the top five.

The Trojans (1-0) are coming off a bye week and figure to be riding a wave of confidence following their season-opening 52-7 thrashing of Virginia on August 30.

Conversely, the Buckeyes (2-0) enter this showdown facing several major questions, primarily the health of Heisman Trophy contender Chris "Beanie" Wells, who will not play according to coach Jim Tressel.

Ohio State's best offensive player and one of the top running backs in the country, Wells has been nursing an injured right foot that sidelined him for last weekend's game against Ohio.

Tressel had said Thursday that Wells is doubtful for this week's contest. Wells, who practiced Wednesday, still has lingering soreness and missed Thursday's workout. On Tuesday, the coach announced that the 237-pounder was expected to play.

The Buckeyes clearly missed Wells during last Saturday's 26-14 come-from-behind victory over Ohio.

Using a variety of players out of the backfield, Ohio State got off to a slow start before rallying from a 14-6 second-half deficit.

Redshirt freshman Daniel Heron scored on a 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter before Brandon Saine gave the Buckeyes a 19-14 lead with his 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Heron ran for a team-high 50 yards on 12 carries for the Buckeyes, who finished with 162 rushing yards on 40 attempts.

Although the Buckeyes struggled mightily in the contest, USC coach Pete Carroll is preparing for an improved performance from an Ohio State squad that returned 19 starters from last year's national championship runner-up team.

"I'm not thinking (the game against Ohio) is real indicative of how they're capable of playing," Carroll said. "They've been a great program. They just kind of had one of those games that happens sometimes."

Wells suffered the injury during the third quarter of Ohio State's 43-0 victory over Youngstown State. He rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown before being carted off the field.

Wells rushed for 1,609 yards and 15 TDs during his breakthrough sophomore season. He scored on an eye-popping 65-yard TD run in the first quarter of the Buckeyes' 38-24 loss to Louisiana State in the BCS championship game.

Ohio State could be in major trouble without Wells as they attempt to compete with the Trojans, who feature a Heisman hopeful of their own in quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Less than a month after suffering a dislocated kneecap in training camp, Sanchez was outstanding against Virginia, completing 26-of-35 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns.

"Mark really has eyes for getting the ball down field," Carroll said. "You give him time, and he'll find guys who take advantage of it. He has a way of taking advantage of the system we have."

"I feel very comfortable with the offense this year," Sanchez said. "My injury really made me take a step back and think about what I wanted this season to be."

The Trojans' season could not have started any better, as they outgained the Cavaliers, 558-187, in total yards from scrimmage.

It was a dominating performance from a USC team looking to win its first national title since the 2004 season, when the Trojans rolled Oklahoma in the BCS championship game. The following year, USC was upset by Vince Young and Texas, which denied the Trojans their 12th national title.

The Buckeyes, who have won seven championships, have not beaten the Trojans since the 1974 Rose Bowl and own a 9-11-1 record in the all-time series with USC.

In order to improve that mark, Ohio State likely will need a solid performance from mistake-prone quarterback Todd Boeckman, who traditionally has struggled against elite programs.

Boeckman threw six interceptions against just two touchdowns in Ohio State's last three games last season - a loss to Illinois, a win over Michigan and the loss to LSU in the Louisiana Superdome. The redshirt senior has completed 30-of-45 passes for 297 yards, two TDs and no interceptions this season.

Ohio State also has an unknown entity in freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who is more mobile and explosive than Boeckman. The nation's most heralded incoming recruit, Pryor has rushed for 89 yards and a TD on just 14 carries this season.